CJ Curls In A Bottle has a lighter cast. You may want to try that if you're not happy with the others. I love CIAB over CCCC.

KCCC has a strong cast (but, I love that, too).

All this being said, I had to "get over" my issues with crunchy hair when I first went CG. I never wanted crunch. So, inevitably, I ended up using WAY too little product on my thick hair. The end result of that was: frizzy, unruly hair that didn't do what I wanted it to do. Once I started using enough (a LOT MORE) gel, my hair behaved much better. And, for the most part, all the gels I have are good with SOTC. Once they're scrunched out, the hold is still there, but the cast is gone.

If you don't want a lot of crunch try Sprial Solutions Jelly, I love it. It has some crunch but you can scrunch it right out and the hold is medium.

I love KCCC but it's stronger.
I've been wanting to try Darcy's Botanicals Gel but I can't b/c of the glycerine. I did order the cream gel from the actual site and that is nice; very moisturizing, not too much crunch, yet nice hold. I always put it in after I swim and get great results--be careful not to use too much b/c it does have oils in it.

sounds like biotera would fit the bill completely. It's by naturalle @ Sally's and its supposed to be a dupe for biolage, I belive.

I use a leave in before it (lately it's the Silk Elements Mega Silk also @ Sally's) and I get great hold and no crunch. If I do get a little crunch, it's easily scrunced out, but I get way less crunch with this then I do with LA Looks Sport.

My second is the LA Looks curl gel, the blue one, but I hear it's being DC'd and I have been having a hard time finding it lately.